Texas Tech (14-1, 3-0) at Oklahoma (12-2, 2-1)
When: Tuesday, January 9th 2018
Where: Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, OK
Time: 7:00 ET | TV: ESPNU
Opening Odds: Oklahoma -2
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Defense and rebounding have been the key to the Texas Tech Red Raiders’ early season success and they will look to keep that going when they take on the ninth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners on Tuesday night. No 8 Texas Tech is off to a 3-0 start in Big 12 play for only the second time in school history and has yet to trail in conference action. Two of those impressive victories have come against then-No. 18 Baylor (77-53) and at 13-time defending champion Kansas (85-73). Texas Tech will not get a break this week with Oklahoma on Tuesday, followed by No. 2 West Virginia on Saturday. Texas Tech has outrebounded all three Big 12 opponents by double figures. The Sooners had a 10-game win streak snapped Saturday at West Virginia (89-76) which begins the week tied with Texas Tech for first place in the Big 12. The Mountaineers, who have won 14 in a row, will be the visiting team in Lubbock on Saturday. Red Raiders coach Chris Beard, who was an assistant under Bobby Knight the last time Texas Tech started 3-0 in Big 12 play in 2003-04, has his team on an eight-game winning streak.
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The Red Raiders are ranked fourth in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 59.2 points per game and fifth in field goal percentage defense (37.3 percent) while also topping the conference in rebound margin (+8.5). Texas Tech will get their biggest test of the season thus far against an Oklahoma team that leads the nation in scoring (94.4) and is guided by dynamic freshman guard Trae Young. Tech has a solid backcourt themselves led by senior guard Keenan Evans, who leads the team in scoring (17.2), assists (3.6) and steals (23). Freshman guard Zhaire Smith is second on the team in scoring (10.7) and has recorded double figures in 10 straight games while freshman guard Jarrett Culver also is averaging in double digits (10.3).
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Young, who is drawing comparisons to NBA star Stephen Curry, leads the nation in both scoring (29.4) and assists (10.2) by wide margins but is coming off what for him was a sub-par game in the loss to the Mountaineers, finishing with 29 points on just 8-of-22 shooting and turning the ball over a season-high eight times while recording just five assists. The Sooners had 17 turnovers at West Virginia, which finished with a 21-9 edge in points off turnovers and held the Sooners to 43.1% shooting. Junior guard Christian James (12.6 points) and freshman forward Brady Manek (11.0) also are averaging in double figures while senior forward Khadeem Lattin leads the team in rebounding (7.7). The Sooners will host Texas Christian on Saturday.
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Look out for this Texas Tech team. They play solid defense and have a terrific backcourt. Its impossible to go undefeated in the Big 12, so a slip-up along the way is expected, and it will happen tonight. Look for Young to have another fantastic game and the Sooners to prevail at home.
Pick: Oklahoma -3.5
- Red Raiders are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Tuesday games.
- Red Raiders are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
- Red Raiders are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Red Raiders are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS win.
- Red Raiders are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Red Raiders are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
- Red Raiders are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Red Raiders are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games.
- Red Raiders are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Red Raiders are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 vs. Big 12.
- Sooners are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Tuesday games.
- Sooners are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up loss.
- Sooners are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Sooners are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Sooners are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
- Sooners are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 vs. Big 12.
- Sooners are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
- Sooners are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Under is 6-1 in Red Raiders last 7 vs. Big 12.
- Under is 4-1 in Red Raiders last 5 road games.
- Under is 4-1 in Red Raiders last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 4-1 in Red Raiders last 5 games following a ATS win.
- Under is 11-4 in Red Raiders last 15 overall.
- Under is 10-4 in Red Raiders last 14 games following a straight up win.
- Under is 19-8 in Red Raiders last 27 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 36-16 in Red Raiders last 52 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Under is 4-0 in Sooners last 4 Tuesday games.
- Over is 6-0 in Sooners last 6 games following a ATS loss.
- Over is 7-1 in Sooners last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Over is 7-1 in Sooners last 8 home games.
- Over is 12-2 in Sooners last 14 overall.
- Under is 6-1 in Sooners last 7 games following a straight up loss.
- Under is 4-1 in Sooners last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Under is 4-1 in Sooners last 5 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
- Under is 16-7 in Sooners last 23 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 22-10 in Sooners last 32 vs. Big 12.
- Home team is 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
- Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
- Red Raiders are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Oklahoma.
